girling



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

w. T. GIRLING.

STEAM ENGINE.

No, 5901755; Patented Sept. 28,1897.

I I I L l l I I I I I l l I I I I I I I I I I I l I I I I Witnesses. Invent0r A WW W% @M Attorney.

(No Model'.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. T. GIRLING.

STEAMENGINE. No. 590,755. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

y W llll ll Um I'M Witnesses. Inventor.

A {W g mg Attorney.

ms PETERS co. PHO70-LlYHO-, wasnmmcn. n. c.

(No Model.) 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. T.GI'RLING STEAM ENGINE.

No. 590,755. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

' Inventor.

' Witnesses.

Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

IVILKINSON T GIRLING, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, JOHN J. TORPEY, ROBERT CUNNINGHAM, AND OSCAR D. MOCLELLAN.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No 590,755, dated September 28, 1897. Application filed October 24,1896. serialllo. 609,893. (No modelJ To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILKINSON T. GIRLING, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a steam-engine of such construction that a large proportion of the exhaust-steam instead of being discharged from the cylinder to the atmosphere is delivered to a chamber or chambers and therein commingled with live steam preparatory to its passage to the cylinder for a succeeding operation.

In the particular embodiment of my invention herein illustrated the steam-chest is provided with two main compartments .or chambers, a valve for regulating the admission of live steam thereto in succession, and a valve for regulating the admission of exhaust-steam thereto in succession and for permitting the commingled steam in the respective chambers to enter the'steam-cylinder at predetermined intervals.

The invention also comprises various novel features of construction and organization of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed. f

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation or an engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, as on the line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section, as on the line b b of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar section, as on the line 0 c of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar section, as on the line 02 d of Fig. 2.

A represents the bed-plate of a high-pressure D, the steam-chest; E, the steam-pipe, and F the Valve for regulating the admission and release of the steam to and from the cylinder. For the purpose of illustration this Valve is represented and described herein as of the rotary type, but obviously a slide or a balanced valve may be used in lieu thereof, if desired.

G is the engine-shaft, and H the fly-wheel thereon.

The steam-chest embodies four chambersviz., a primary chamber 1, into which the that of the slide or steam {pipe d discharges; two underlying chambers 2 and 3, having commnnication with the primary chamber by means of ports d 02 respectively, and a valve-chamber 4, having communication with the chambers 2 and 3 by means of ports 61 01 respectively, and with the resp'ective ends of thesteam-cylinder by passages or ports d and d Arranged in the chamber 1 is a slide or piston valve 1, by the reciprocation of which the ports d d may be opened and closed in alternate succession.

The valve-rodt' is connected with the rock armor guide 11, and the latter in turn is connected by means of a rod 1' with an eccentric t on the engine-shaft similarly to the valvegear of an ordinary steam-engine. This eccentric is likewise operatively connected with an ordinary rotary govern or .I on the fly-wheel, to the end that the position of the eccentric, and consequently the throw of the valve, will be automatically varied in accordance with the speed of the engine.

The rotary valve F is fitted Within the chamber 4 and is provided with the ports f f which are designed to effect communication between the ports (I and the steamcavity d in the valve-chamber at predetermined intervals. The valve stem or shaft f is mounted in appropriate bearings in the walls of the chamber and is provided on one end with a crank f that is linked with one arm of a suitably-disposed rocking lever f. The other arm of this lever is connected by means of a rod f with an eccentric f on the engine-shaft, which eccentric is timed in respect to the eccentric i so as to effect the operation of the rotary valve in harmony with 7 piston valve above described.

If desired, the eccentric f and its rod f may be dispensed with, the rocking lever in that case being directly connected with the rod of valve 1.

Leading from the valve-chamber is a passage d to which is fitted a pipe d having two oppositely-extending branches df d, which lead to the chambers 2 and 3, respectively. In each of the branch pipes is an ordinary check-valve (Z the function of which will presently appear.

Leading from the pipe 61 is a pipe (1 pro:

vided with an appropriate relief-valve d, which, at the outset, is set to permit the es cape of suflicient exhaust-steam to prevent back pressure in the receiving chambers. This valve also permits the escape of water of condensation.

The operation is as follows: The throttlevalve on the steam-pipe is opened to per mit the passage of steam to the steam-chest, and the engine is set in operation. In one stroke of the slide-valve I one, say d of the ports (I (Z is opened, and the live steam thus passes into the underlying chamber 2. The port (1, leading from that chamber to the valve-chamber, is closed. In the succeeding stroke of the valve the port (Z is closed immediatel y before the port d is opened, as indicated in the drawings, whereupon the live steam passes, by way of the latter port and the valve-port f, into the steam passage or port (1 thence to the steam-cylinder, in a manner to actuate the piston. The exhauststeam passes, by way of the passage al to the port f in the valve, entering the steam-cavity (Z and passing to the pipe 61 then opening the check-valve on the branch pipe d, leading to the chamber 3, and in consequence passing to the latter. As the pressure of the live steam is against the check-valve in the pipe (Z it will be obvious that the latter will be unaffected by the exhaust. In the succeeding stroke of the slide-valve I the port (1 will be opened and the live steam will enter the chamber 3 and commingle with the exhaust steam therein, following which the valve F will be actuated to effect communication between this chamber and the steampassage dlwhereupon the commingled steam will enter the steam-cylinder and actuate the piston. In the next stroke of the valves the exhaust-steam will open the check-valve on the branch pipe (1 leading to the chamber 2, and thus pass to the latter, following which the live steam will be permitted to enter such chamber and commingle with the exhauststeam therein, thence passing to the steamcylinder. i

It will of course be understood that after the engine has been started the relief-valve (Z is set to produce any desired pressure in the receivingchambers, so that an economical working of the engine may be had.

The operation of com mingling the live and exhaust steam in the chambers 2 and 3 in alternate succession is carried on continuously, thereby utilizing a large proportion of the exhaust-steam instead of permitting it to escape uselessly to the atmosphere.

I claim 1. In a steam-engine, the combination,with the steam-cylinder and the piston, of a chamher having communication with said cylinder, valve mechanism for regulating the admission of live steam to said chamber, and valve mechanism for regulating the admission of exhaust steam from the cylinder to said chamber and for permitting the commingled steam to enter the cylinder at predetermined intervals, substantially as described.

2. In a steam-engine, the combination,with the steam-cylinder and the piston, of a plurality of chambers having communication with said cylinder, valve mechanism for regulating the admission of live steam to said chambers in succession, and valve mechanism for regulating the admission of exhaust steam thereto in succession and for permitting the commingled steam in the respective chambers to enter the steam-cylinder at predetermined intervals, substantially as described.

3. In a steam-engine, the combination,with the steam-cylinder and the piston, of two chambers, a valve for regulating the admission of live steam thereto at predetermined intervals, a valve for controlling communication between said chambers and the steampassages to the cylinder, a pipe to which the exhaust-steam is directed from said cylinder, connections between said pipe and the re spective chambers, and checkvalves in said connections, substantially as described.

4. In a steam-engine, the combination,with

the steam cylinder and the piston, of the steam-chest comprising the primary chamber into which the steam-pipe extends, the mix ingchambers having communication with said primary chamber, the valve-chamber having communication with the said mixingchambers and with the steam-cylinder, and valve mechanism for controlling such com munications, substantially as described.

5. In a steam-en gine, the combination,with the steam-cylinder and the piston, of the chamber into which the steam-pipe extends, the slide-valve therein, means for actuating said valve, the mixing-chambers having communication with the first-named chamber, a valve-chamber having communication with said mixing-chambers and with the respective steam-passages to the cylinder, a rotary valve in said valve-chamber, and means for operating said valve, substantially as described.

(5. In a steam-engine, the combination,with the steam-cylinder, of the steam-chest comprising the relativelyarranged chambers, such as 1, 2, 3 and 4', the valve for regulating the admission of steam from chamber 1 to chambers 2 and 3 in alternate succession, the valve in chamber 4 for controlling the communication between said chambers 2 and 3 and the steam-passages to the cylinder, a pipe to which the exhaust-steam is directed from the cylinder by said latter valve, branch pipes leading from said pipe to the respective chambers 2 and 3, and check-valves in said branch pipes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILKINSON l. GIRLING. lVitnesses:

JOHN R. NOLAN, JEssE B. HELLER. 

